


Lessons in Grief

by woodsinautumn



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Vampires, adam clearly has a thing for the detective, also duh, damn idk, duh - Freeform, first time posting a fic hmm, musty repressed vampires?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24806320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodsinautumn/pseuds/woodsinautumn
Summary: Adam and the detective have to go break the news to Kate about her son. Adam learns a little about the nature of humanity and tries to not notice how cute the detective is, what else is new?
Relationships: Detective/Adam du Mortain, Male Detective/Adam du Mortain
Kudos: 15





	Lessons in Grief

**Author's Note:**

> The dialogue is from the actual pathway I played in Book 1 but I tried to get into Adams perspective as well as I could.

"Well…." Ash sighs. "I suppose I better go deliver the news. I'll meet you guys back at the station." He turns to head away with heavy steps and a knotted brow.

Adam can already feel a headache coming in. "You're not going alone," He calls, making Ash pause mid-step. The detective rounds on Adam, his teeth gritted.

"Excuse me?" Of course he’d put up a fight; Adam wished he could just throw the man into a locked room until this mission was over.

"One of us is going with you," Adam says, his stern voice only making Ash’s annoyance grow. "The rest of us have to check in with Agent Langford." The fact that he had to dispute his authority with this man was frankly insulting.

"'Cause that tone's really gonna make him open to suggestions," Felix chimes in with a playful slap on Adams back . He resists the urge to shake Felix for disputing his authority even further. "Nice going."

He was truly surrounded by a pack of feral children. 

Ash takes a step back towards Adam. "How about you work on your team skills, then try again with that suggestion." The detective turns to walk away, frustration obvious in his strides. 

Unbelievable, Adam thinks, the way he can just turn around and walk off from this conversation without a second thought. "Being a team is exactly why you can't go alone." And Adam actually means it, which comes as a surprise to even himself. "What exactly do you plan to do by yourself if the killer has decided to pay this boy's mother a visit?" 

Ash rolls his eyes; it makes Adams blood boil, but he’d be lying if he told himself it was only from anger.

He lies to himself anyway. 

"You know what?" Ash begins, stepping closer and folding his arms in that arrogant way of his. Adam at the very least certainly found it to be haughty. "Seeing as you're so concerned about me, Adam, you come with me."  
Adam stares at down at Ash for a long moment, almost impressed at the other man’s nerve. If someone had told Adam a week ago that he’d be bossed around by this little human he’d have put them through a wall. And yet, deep down, Adam was glad the detective had asked him for accompaniment. 

Of course he was glad, Adam told himself, it makes the job of protecting this stubborn fool easier if I’m there with him. But as Adam looked over to the detective, standing across from him with his arms folded and an angry light in his eyes; he realized with dread that he was looking forward to this. 

"Fine," Adam says finally. Making Ash's mouth part slightly in surprise. He turns to the others. "Go see Agent Langford and report in. We'll meet up afterwards." 

Time to get this over with. 

Adam glowers as he approaches the detective’s silver hatchback, the thought of having to get into that excuse of a car felt like some attempt at a ridiculous joke. One probably orchestrated by Felix. He resisted an urge to make a snide comment, considering its been a record time of about 20 minutes where he hasn’t wrangled with Ash over something.

With a sour expression, he looks over at Ash; contentment on the detective's face as he comfortably slides in and begins his familiar routine of starting up his beloved little car. The drive is cramped and uncomfortable, as Adams' strongly built frame pushes against the dimensions of the dinky little vehicle. 

"You knew her and her son?" Adam asks, breaking the silence that felt to him like a shroud, seemingly growing heavier the more he glances at the detective. Ash turns his gaze to Adam. 

"Yeah, a bit." Ash replies.

"Then, I'm truly sorry for what you have to do." Having to tell a mother that her son was violently murdered is a horrifically difficult task, even to someone as seemingly unforgiving as Adam. Genuine sympathy floods through Adam as he looks over to the detective; who's sporting a creased brow deep enough to leave future wrinkles. He notes the downturned nature of Ash’s eyes and lips, how it makes the dark-haired man look particularly melancholic when he’s upset.

He doesn’t allow himself to think about why he knows these details. 

"Better get on with it then." The detective's resolve seemed to strengthen as he spoke. 

As Adam finally steps out of that cramped little car, he places a pair of thin rimmed aviator sunglasses over his eyes, making him seem even more impalpable than usual. Rigidity seems to be ingrained into his very being, showing in every one of his movements. Adam walks in stride with the detective; who seems lost in thought for just a moment before he walks steadily up to the woman’s door. 

Kate swings the door open before either gets a chance to knock.

The woman seems little more than a paper doll, tiny and frail; even by human standards. Fear had seemingly bled her out more than any vampire ever could. Agitation rose up in Adam as Kate’s turbulent emotions swept over him; it was much like the feeling of feeling the bones of a bird, so breakable it’s sickening.

"Detective Langford?" she croaks. "Hello, Kate," Ash replies, voice steady, but Adam can hear the sadness in his tone.

"What are you doing…here…?" Her voice trails off, her eyes widening in horrified realization. "That murder this morning…no." She shakes her head; the utterance of that word felt like a funeral shroud. "No! I don't believe it. No!" 

As grief brings the woman to her knees, Ash immediately sinks down with her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders with a gentleness that softens something inside of Adam. Inky strands of hair fall over the other man’s eyes as he looks down at the woman, his eyes shine with empathy; he does not recoil from her agony, but rather he embraces it. His heartbeat stutters slightly as he looks at the two of them down on their knees, holding each other. For a moment Adam wishes he could do the same; to be able to share someone’s pain in such a way. A way that relied on emotional instinct rather than supernatural ability. It was so vulnerable, so openly despairing...so human. 

No. Absolutely Not.

Not anymore. 

This sort of emotion is only a hindrance to the investigation; they don’t have time to waste comforting every lost soul that comes their way. Only focusing on the facts at hand with a clinical eye can help solve this case. This was a petty waste of time.

Petty and human.

"We should move her inside," Adam says, unable to shake the disapproval in his tone. Ash turns sharply towards him, a frown of disbelief forms across his handsome brow as he shakes his head at the taller man. Adam turns away from the look of disappointment in his gaze; guilt painted over those green eyes for just a moment. 

Eventually the two men manage to gently lead the wrecked woman back to her apartment, when she hits the sofa, she immediately sinks into it, deflated as if all life had been sucked out of her. Detective Langford gets on one knee in front of her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. He tries to coax some information out of her, anything that could shed light on the gruesome murder. Adam can feel the woman's despaired emotions; like looking deep into a well with no bottom. He clenches his jaw to hide the anguish he feels for the poor woman. 

Now was not the time for such wallowing. 

Agent Du Mortain shifts behind the sofa, placing a strong hand on the woman’s shoulder; his self-assured presence seemingly calming her, as he asks her gently to steady herself. For a moment Ash’s face is frozen in complete surprise as the previously shattered woman pulls herself together and begins answering his questions. After an hour of gentle probing, the detective manages to get all the information the woman has on the activity and whereabouts of her son just before his murder. 

They leave the house with more questions than answers. 

Adam stops in front of the woman’s window, watching her crumple back into herself, and sobs heaving her whole body. The wave of grief hits him once again; he feels his soul shrinking into itself, away from the wails of the now childless mother. He snaps himself out of his stupor and strides back to the car with more forcefulness than usual. The detective follows close behind.

"How did you do that in there with Kate?" Ash asks. Adam stops to glance at him before entering the hatchback. "Do what?" 

"Calm her down so much," Ash replies, turning back towards the house. "I've never seen anyone deal with a grief-stricken person that way before." Tension coils up in his shoulders at Ash’s observation. It was hard to keep someone so insightful in the dark. Adam genuinely wondered for the first time whether they’d be able to pull this mission of without alerting the detective on what was really going on. 

"It's training we're given at the Agency, that's all. Though I'm impressed you were perceptive enough to notice." It was a low blow, but it made him feel better after the moment of doubt Ash had inflicted on him. 

The smaller man pinches his face slightly at the comment; Adam might have felt guilty if he wasn’t too distracted by the way Ash’s nose crinkled slightly when he was annoyed. 

As Ash turns the ignition key, trying to coax his car back to life, Adam couldn’t help but look over to the detective again. His thick dark hair was now unruly after a long day, and Adam couldn’t stop studying the way it framed Ash’s face as he bent his head down slightly; or how his lashes stood out against his pale skin when his eyelids grew heavy. Adam drops his gaze down to the ignition, staring as his graceful hands turn the key, and when the car spurs to life; Adam follows the movement of Ash’s hands and feels something grow heavy inside of him when Ash’s long fingers wrap around the gearshift… 

Adams' head snaps back slightly before he can finish that thought. He realizes that Ash had been looking over at him as well. Perhaps it was just imagination…or wishful thinking, that his gaze had made the detective catch his breath. Adam can’t even be angry at himself as he locks eyes with Ash; unable to look away. 

The car sputters to life, it's gasps putting a definitive halt on the moment they just had. Ash's fingers grip the steering wheel; his expression seemingly flustered. 

Then he turns back to Adam for a moment, giving him a smile. It’s a small smile; shy and self-deprecating, but the open and genuine display of affection makes something turn in Adam's stomach. 

Must be indigestion, Adam thinks. 

Adam doesn’t eat food. 

"Let's get back to the station." Ash’s voice stumbles out an octave higher than it usual; and Adam can’t help but notice. "The others will be waiting," His voice is brisk, forcefully so. Adam puts on his aviators, once more entering the role of the untouchable agent. 

He rebuilds his defenses as if the moment that had just passed between them never happened.


End file.
